Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to fluid cooling systems. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to a device and method for detecting leaks of coolant in fluid cooling systems.
Fluid cooling is commonly used in electronics fabrication and material processing systems because a liquid cooling system is generally self-contained, relatively simple to set up, and can be extended to additional work stations as an operation increases in size. Typically, a fluid cooling system may include a network of rigid pipes and flexible hoses that contain a coolant such as water or a solution of water and glycol. The coolant may be circulated in the cooling system by one or more pumps installed in the system. Portions of the hoses or pipes may be adjacent to materials or media from which the heat is removed by the coolant. In some cooling systems, portions of the hoses or pipes containing the coolant may be submerged in a tank holding the liquid from which heat is removed by the coolant. Once the coolant absorbs the thermal energy from the liquid or material to be cooled, the heated coolant may go through a heat exchanger or radiator to discard the absorbed thermal energy. The coolant at the lower temperature is then returned to the cooling system to continue removing the heat from the liquid or material to be cooled in a closed loop system.
A fluid cooling system may develop leaks of coolant over time due to fatigue in the joints of the pipes and hoses, corrosion, or accidental damages to the pipes and hoses. Such leaks in the cooling system may disrupt the operation of the equipment being cooled by the cooling system or contaminate sensitive materials and components being processed or fabricated by the equipment. In order to temporarily maintain continuous operation of the cooling system, more coolant may need to be added to the cooling system to replace the leaked coolant.
Inspecting a cooling system to detect a leak is generally difficult due to the system's extensive network of pipes and hoses. Further, the operation of the equipment being cooled and the cooling system may need to be shut down in order to determine whether there is a leak in the cooling system.
It is thus desirable to have a device and method to quickly detect a leak in a fluid cooling system.